Here at the UW Botanic Gardens, we strive to make our spaces accessible to people of all backgrounds. We are grateful to members of our community for reaching out to inquire about the accessibility of our gardens. We have compiled a list of available resources on accessibile parking, trails, benches, and more for both the Washington Park Arboretum and Center for Urban Horticulture. 

3.9.22

Around The Farm
by Gulsima Young, Double Major in Informatics and Environmental Studies, UW Farm Informatics Intern 

Direct Seeding at the UW Farm
There are many different methods utilized to start crops at the beginning of each growing season. Some crops at the UW Farm are started in a greenhouse and then transplanted, while others grow best when their seeds are planted right into the soil. 

We are excited to share a brand new collection of four digital tree tours for the Washington Park Arboretum! Developed by our AmeriCorps member, Thuy Luu, these tours feature some of the Arboretum’s iconic collections and seasonal attractions. This new free public programming invites visitors to dive deeper into the stories of the Arboretum’s tree collections and offers a variety of routes and themes to fit different schedules and interests. 

The term ‘living fossil’ was coined by Charles Darwin in his book, Origin of Species in 1859. Although definitions can vary, a living fossil generally refers to an organism that has remained in the fossil record for an unusually long time span with seemingly very little change. These organisms are fascinating case studies in plant evolution. Here are some of the living fossil plants that can be found in the Arboretum:
1)   Taiwania cryptomerioides                                                         Coffin Tree

This coniferous tree species is native to eastern Asia and is the only surviving member of its genus, descending from the middle Jurassic Period. 

Despite the cold snap we have been experiencing in Seattle, the UW Farm is hard at work preparing and planting our first crops across the Farm’s three campus locations.

3.2.22

Around The Farm

by Kove Janeski, Graduate Student in Landscape Architecture, UW Farm Student Staff, Operations Lead

Eliminating weeds without chemicals
Despite the cold snap we have been experiencing in Seattle, the UW Farm is hard at work preparing and planting our first crops across the Farm’s three campus locations.
As the first step in the bed preparation process, we try to remove weeds before planting seeds or transplants. 

Ten species of hemlock (Tsuga) are found across North America and Asia. When young, all species have a tell-tale drooping top or leader. The largest species, Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), is a common forest tree in the lowland Northwest. A popular landscape tree, Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) is native to higher elevation forests of the Northwest. Check out some of the other hemlocks in the Arboretum collection! 

We’re excited to share the news that UWBG, the Arboretum Foundation, and Seattle Parks & Recreation have been selected to participate in the Central Park Conservancy’s 2022 Partnerships Lab program!

2.9.21

Around The Farm

by Dannette Lombert, UW Farm AmeriCorps Member, Food Security Lead

The Benefits of Crop Rotation 
Often times people ask organic farmers “How do you deal with pests?”, “How do you take care of the soil?”, or “How do you manage plant disease?” and there is a simple answer for that: Crop Rotation.
Crop Rotation is an age-old agricultural practice that involves changing the crop on a piece of land consistently, over time, as seen in the image below. 

Tired of just salad or sautéing your kale? What about some bright, nutty kale and peanuts pesto? Made with just a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Super quick, super easy. All you need to do is to whizz everything together. It goes well with pasta, bread, pizza, sandwiches, and more!